Author: Brian Rykovich

The market for Bitcoins, crypto-currencies and other “digital assets” has now surpassed the $100 billion mark. There has been much talk about these digital currencies lately — contrasts being drawn that liken them to gold, trumpeting them as the currency of the future. Bitcoin fanatics envision unlimited uses for the digital currency, and unlimited profitsRead more about Is Bitcoin the New Gold?[…]

Since the early 80’s, bond funds have had the proverbial wind in their sails. Interest rates have steadily headed downwards and bond prices, which move inversely to interest rates, have stayed on an upward trajectory. In March, however, the Fed increased interest rates by 25 basis points (0.25%), and again in June. They also indicatedRead more about Understanding Your Portfolio’s Duration[…]

One of the last acts of the Obama Administration was to create a fiduciary rule intended to protect investors in or near retirement. The object of this rule was to help investors protect their hard-earned retirement savings by mandating that their financial advisors act always in their clients’ best interests. To help facilitate this mission,Read more about New Fiduciary Rule: “Suitable” is No Longer Suitable[…]

When it comes to investing, our worst enemy is ourselves! The theory behind successful investing isn’t rocket science: Buy low, sell high; diversify; invest for the long term, etc. However, practicing successful investing is surprisingly difficult. Certain companies, sectors, and asset classes go from revered to reviled, and vice-versa, practically overnight, and we get soRead more about We Have Met the Enemy (of our portfolio) and He is Us[…]

To characterize the current real estate market as ordinary would be a misnomer as it bears no semblance of normalcy; it’s a downright feeding frenzy out there. The Case-Shiller Index, which tracks home prices relative to rents, surpassed pre-recession levels back in September of 2016. According to Zillow, the median U.S. home price has increasedRead more about Buying a Rental Property? Do Your Homework![…]

Planning the transfer of assets to grandchildren in many ways is similar to transferring assets to your own children, with a few exceptions. Grandchildren may be subject to a generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT), which is levied in addition to the estate and gift tax. In 2017, transfers to grandchildren in excess of the lifetime generation-skippingRead more about Transferring Assets to Grandchildren[…]

The stock market has been on an impressive run as of late, continuing to hit new highs, highs that are met with praise by some investors, and anxiety by others. The S&P 500 gained 8% from the election through the end of the year, and another 5% from the start of the year until mid-April.Read more about Making Some Sense of the “Trump Bump”[…]